Building and Sustaining Human Rights Cities Together in the South

April 26-28, 2019

Join human rights leaders to explore the human rights city organizing model to “bring human rights home”

Hosted by: ArtsXchange ATL, 2148 Newnan St, East Point GA

We are working to popularize people-centered human rights that is intentionally both intersectional—that is, consciously working to build broad alliances across diverse groups of people and organizations, and transformational—aimed at fundamentally re-ordering power relations of society to center the leadership and priorities of frontline communities.

In Atlanta, we expect to address challenges that are common in many cities and communities such as affordable housing/displacement and the privatization of water and other public utilities. Together we can help shift the discourse to center human rights and press policy makers to prioritize people and communities over corporate profits and economic growth.

Registration is available on a sliding scale according to neeed, with no one turned away for lack of ability to pay. Registration includes lunch on Saturday and coffee/tea/snacks/water throughout. 

Event runs-
Friday April 26: 5-8pm
Saturday April 27: 9am-5pm
Sunday April 27: 9am-1pm

Learn more about Human Rights Cities including past convenings, a statemeent of principles and much more on our website here.

Presented by the National Human Rights Cities Alliance, American Friends Service Committee, US Human Rights Network, Turn South: Southern Women for Change, Organization for Human Rights and Democracy, SisterSong, 9to5 Working Women – GA and the Ubuntu Institute for Community Development.

Childcare

Childcare is available free of cost to all registered participants during the conference on Saturday and Sunday only. If you wish to utilize childcare you must first register for the convening utilizing the link above AND register for childare via this link by 12:00pm on Friday April 26. If you have questions please contact Jacob Flowers at jflowers@afsc.org. 

Agenda

Friday – April 26

5:00pm                        Registration opens

6:00pm                        Welcome and Opening Presentation - Molefi Askari, Johnaca Dunlap, and Rachel Fowler

7:00pm                        Film and Discussion: The Home Team https://www.thehometeamfilm.com/ Panel Discussion following including - Tanya Washington, Peoplestown Resident and Kamau Franklin, Community Movement Builders
                                  

Saturday – April 27

9:00am                        Welcome + Purpose   - Yolande Tomlinson, OHRD

9:15-10:15am             Story Circles/Grounding Activities - Taliba Obuya, Amnesty International-USA and Tamika Middleton, Winds of Change Consulting

10:15-10:30am           Break

10:30am-12:00pm      Human Rights Cities: Lessons & Models from around the US and World Panel led by National HRC Alliance-Steering Committee members: Jackie Smith (Pittsburgh), Vickie Casanova-Willis (Chicago); Rachel Bergsieker (Washington DC); Joshua Cooper (Hawaii); Aaron Oravillo (Seattle). Moderated by Yolande Tomlinson, Organization for Human Rights and Democracy (Atlanta)

12:00-1:00pm             Lunch (provided)

1:00-2:30pm               Human Rights Issue Labs

• Economic Justice, Land and Cooperative Organizing - Facilitated by Cooperative Atlanta & OHRD: Leila Ali, Wayne Early, Angel Torres, and Yolande Tomlinson; Rob Robinson, USHRN/National Economic and Social Rights Initiative

• Reproductive Justice and Voting Rights - Facilitated by Jalessah Jackson, Sistersong; Rachel Fowler, National HRC

• Human Migration, Mobility and Freedom - Facilitated by Adelina Nichols, GLAHR; Vickie Casanova-Willis, HRC

2:30-2:45pm               Break

2:45-3:00pm               Report Backs: Issue Labs

3:00-4:30p                  Plenary: Understanding the Landscape We Are In- Local, National, International Framework
Panel participants: Shanda Neal, 9 to 5 Working Women – GA Chapter; Noel Didla, Jackson Human Rights Institute, Tougaloo College; Rob Robinson, USHRN/National Economic and Social Rights Initiative. Moderated by Anyango Reggy and Foluke Nunn - AFSC

4:30pm                        Break

6:00pm                        Coop Social

Presented by Cooperative Atlanta and the Organization for Human Rights and Democracy

Come learn about the various projects Cooperative Atlanta and its partners are starting and incubating, including a non-attractive loan fund to help seed cooperative businesses. Share your work and vision for Metro-Atlanta. We will have food, music, and dope people doing amazing work. Vegan options available and children are welcomed.  

Sunday – April 28

9:00am                        Opening Session – Review and Next Steps

9:30am                        Mechanisms for the Pushback: Universal Periodic Reviews, International Decade for People of African Descent, Treaties (CERD)  Led by National Human Rights Cities Alliance

10:45 – 11:00am         Break

11:00am                      Next Steps – How do we integrate a human rights lens and human rights language into local work? What is local strategy, and what does that look like when it is integrated and part of national strategy? How do educate and activate what is already there?

12:30pm                     Report back + Discussion + Commitments

1:00                             Closing + evaluations

Lodging Information:
The following hotels provide the best rates during the convening weekend. Note: there is a large event in Atlanta this weekend, so please reserve your rooms soon. 

Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Address: 265 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 577-1234

Crowne Plaza Atlanta Airport
Address: 1325 Virginia Ave, Atlanta, GA 30344
Phone: (404) 768-6660

Ramada Plaza Atlanta Downtown Capitol Park
Address: 450 Capitol Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone: (404) 591-2000